Nicole Robinson

After hundreds of tests, papers, and hours and hours of reading, it’s finally going to happen. On Dec. 17, I’ll be among the group of graduates from UW-Eau Claire. I couldn’t be more excited.

For the past few weeks my days have been filled not only with school, but also picking out graduation announcements, party planning and most importantly – job searching.

Part of the reason I’m at this point is because of the of tests and quizzes I’ve passed, papers I’ve written and hours I’ve spent reading and studying. But another important factor in getting to this point has been money. And more specifically, the money given or leant to me by the federal government.

Like many students, I come from a typical middle class family who would struggle to pay even the modest tuition required to attend Eau Claire. Thankfully, like many of my peers, I have been given loans and grants to help pay for my higher education.

According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, about 63 percent of college students in the United States receive some form of financial aid in either loans, grants or a combination of both.

Unfortunately, students may not continue to have these same opportunities to go to the college of their choice and receive help to get there.

The House of Representatives is considering a $9 billion reduction in student loan programs and the senate is considering cutting $14 billion in the new federal budget.

What this appears to mean for students is less money will be available for federal grants and work study programs. It also could mean higher interest rates on federal student loans.

While I understand the federal government is facing huge budget shortfalls, one of the last budget items that should go on the chopping block is aid for higher education.

When I was a sophomore I took a class studying the economics of developing nations. My professor for that class stressed one of the key ways that has been shown to help boost a nation’s economy and overall standard of living: to place a focus on education.

The same principle can be applied to highly-developed nations.

According to the College Board, a non-profit group of 4,500 schools, colleges and universities, the median wage, for workers with bachelors degrees was $49,900. Conversely, the median salary for people with only a high school diploma was $30,800. The group projected that during a 40-year career, college graduates will earn about 73 percent more than those only holding a high school diploma.

Having a population that is able to earn more is beneficial for the country as a whole. These high earners will be able to contribute more to the national coffers in terms of taxes. They’ll be able to contribute to non-profit causes. They’ll be able to help boost state and local economies.

Additionally, with all of the Bush administration’s focus on making sure there is “no child left behind,” at the K-12 level, it also should be as concerned with making sure these children have somewhere to go for further education after they graduate from high school. It’s the goverment’s responsibility to ensure students aren’t priced out of higher education.

For many families with a child who is academically prepared for college, price can be the only barrier.

If we allow education only to be available to the wealthy, our entire nation as a whole will ultimately suffer from a tremendous brain drain. It’s in everyone’s best interest to make higher education available to everyone.

I’m leaving in less than three months, and I’m planning on securing a high-quality job that probably wouldn’t have been available to me without my federally-funded college education.

But it’s up to all of us to ensure future generations will be given the same educational and financial opportunities. We need to make our representatives and senators aware of how important higher eduction is, and make sure it’s available to everyone in the future.

MacLaughlin is a senior print journalism major and editorial editor of The Spectator. Mac Mouths Off is a weekly column that appears every Thursday.